RE: Performance indicators.

From:

Bruce Gapinski

With all due respect, two things come to mind. 1) Maybe you could teach the
slow HT how to save (not waste) time. The speedy HT could have some input.
2) Speed is only a temporary time saver if you need to go back and make
recuts. I'll take a quality slide over 12 sloppy slides any time. Very
speedy techs are known to cut through a needle biopsy. All the time saved
will not bring it back. I worry for the patient, after all isn't that what
this is all about?
I'm sure you lab does quality work too.
Respectfully,
Bruce Gapinski HT(ASCP)
-----Original Message-----
From: Louri Caldwell [mailto:louri_c@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2001 4:48 AM
To: clarke.ian@virgin.net; histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: Performance indicators.
While I agree that it isn't a good idea to "stopwatch" your
techs, some
guidelines are necessary to maintain a level of fairness in
the lab. If not
- what do you do if you have one tech who takes 2 hours to
cut 100 blocks vs
one who takes 6 hours for the same amount? Then - what do
you do with the
tech that's finished 4 hours earlier? Is it fair to make
them complete more
tasks just because they're faster?
Is it fair to expect that much less from the other tech just
because they're
slower?
Here, I think we've achieved a good balance. All of the
work is divided
evenly - at such a level that each tech should comfortably
be able to
complete their workload without any undue stress. Those that
work too fast
have learned to slow down to improve quality - and those
that were
previously too slow have learned time-saving techniques to
improve their
productivity.
While we don't time workload here on an hourly basis (we
expect a certain
level of work completed at the end of each day), on average
the performance
level expected in this lab is as follows. Mind you, this is
with a wide
variety of specimen types,sizes, fixation levels - from
numerous, tiny
well-fixed biopsy specimens to huge unfixed nightmare
blocks:
Embed 100 blocks: 1 hour
Trim 50 blocks: 30 to 45 minutes
Cut 30 blocks: 30 to 45 minutes
File 100 histology slides: if in order - 1/2 hour if not - 1
hour
Pap smears - we don't do here :)
Hope this helps.
Louri Caldwell
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602
>From: Clarke Ian
>To: histonet
>Subject: Performance indicators.
>Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 17:54:04 +0000
>
>I am interested in trying to assess a performance level for
some of the
>standard procedures in a Histology and Cytology
laboratory.These include ,
>embedding,trimming,cutting and mounting of slides.I thus
would like to
>survey what other people think is realistic and doing in
practise.
>
>How long to:
>
>Embed 100 blocks
>
>Trim 50 blocks
>
>Cut 30 blocks
>
>Mount 60 PAP smears
>
>Mount 60 Histology slides
>
>File 100 Pap Smears
>
>and File 100 Histology slides.
>
>I will post the results afterwards.
>
>Ian Clarke
>Histo/Cyto
>CAH
>
>
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